Quiet man

This is Ivan, brother of Jason Ross. He arrived late on that day in Brooklyn when Jason and Natasha found subjects for me. He sat down and hardly spoke. Yet, later when I photographed him, he was the paragon of politeness and consideration.

1965 to 2012

Jason Ross asked me to come and spend the day photographing anyone in his building in Red Hook that would like their picture taken. Here are six of the pictures including Jason himself seen here with Natasha Chekoudjian.

At one moment Jason disappeared into his bedroom and came back wearing a Michael Fish shirt and a French Velvet jacket. "They belonged to my father. He bought them when he lived in London in the 1960s." Natasha Chekoudjian is wearing a dress from her own collection with a belt and jewelry designed by Jason.

Scarlet and plaid

Todd Bachenheimer, shirt designer for Brooks Brothers and his friend Christine. At lunch with Jason and Natasha, Christine wandered around with a plastic beaker. It contained a yellowy, clay colored liquid. We asked, "What is it?" 


"Cleanser," she replied. I thought, what more of a cleanser could you want than our lunch: raw carrots, raw celery, chicken sandwich and slices of blood orange with mint leaves.

Two pairs of blue eyes

At first it was difficult to stop them kissing. When they did stop, they were perfect hosts. They put back the blind that had fallen off a window where the sun was pouring in and spoiling my shot, they moved a table to give me more room and they cleared a background of clutter.

She travels to Africa to work, tending to those in need. He is an art director and designer here in New York.

Ovals amognst circles

Sculptor, Robin Heide Kennedy, of Red Hook, New York and Spoleto, Italy. I particularly liked her kitchen. She made tea for us and we talked about dogs. She has an Italian hunting dog.

A steady gaze

Here's something for the New Year—the steady gaze of a child.

Joy Setton at Fort Defiant Café

This is a photograph of a stranger, but with the help of the staff at Fort Defiant Café in Red Hook, Brooklyn, I discovered that it is the writer Joy Setton. I took the picture a couple of summers ago and have since read her articles in Taki's Magazine. One that particularly struck me was about money in the art world from fifteenth century Florence to today. Amongst other aspects of banking then and today, she writes about usury, the origins of bankruptcy, letters of credit, how much gold a woman could wear, and, "Bankers in fifteenth-century Florence were so wealthy that even rulers envied them."
Click here for article in Taki's Magazine

Young woman with hands clasped

Some times I just want to post the picture and say nothing.

Seven-year-old writer

On the cheese counter line at Fairway in Red Hook, Brooklyn, a father and his seven year-old daughter waited their turn. Caroline, who was behind them, was taken by their warm relationship and the little girl's liveliness and good looks. They began to talk to each other. He was English, and by chance, lived as a child in the street adjoining mine in London. Caroline told him that she thought I would like to photograph his daughter.

And so it was that last Saturday we met for a sandwich at The Hope and Anchor and to take a photograph. The place was packed, but a slim, quiet and polite young man immediately took care of us and showed us into the back room. As soon as we were settled the girl took a notebook from her satchel and started work with a pencil. "I'm writing a book," she said. "Actually, at the moment, I am working on The Table of Contents." Then she read us the first paragraph of the book: "The dark crept into a light corner where Judy was sleeping. No-one could hear the loud moans of the dog. When a piece of the sun popped out of the air it bounced off clouds in a fast speed. It landed with a thump. It was a glowing ball as bright as a star but more. It started to grow into a flower. Everything was dark. The flower was sucked into the ground. Judy and her 2 brothers started to wake up."

She ordered pancakes and bacon and as she ate, she chatted and wrote. I looked around and saw behind me an empty table in good light which the management warmly welcomed me to have my subject sit at, whenever I was ready to take the picture. The light came from a glass door into the street and a mixture of coloured and regular tungsten lights from the room.

The girl suddenly said, "I thought we were here to have my photograph taken and all we have done is talk, talk." She had talked as much as any of us and had also been busy devouring the extra bacon that she ordered with her pancakes.

I was ready, and without any fuss she sat where I asked her to and she sat how I asked her to. The other customers looked and smiled as I am sure everybody does when they see this radiant, high-spirited girl.

Young man with skateboard

I heard the rattle of skateboards as we crossed the road on Lorraine Street in Red Hook and turned to see three teenagers on their boards in the middle of the street. There was one tall, thin rider that caught my eye. I did not see his face but I shouted and waved "Hello." They stopped. I asked one of them, "Do you like dogs, he's friendly." as Caroline and Louis caught up with us. They stopped and they all liked Louis. I went up to the tall thin rider. He agreed to be photographed. He had grown up with dogs. This was their favourite street to skate on. Not very much traffic and a wide long stretch, so you could see it coming, the said.

Artist in leather

Jason Ross with his vintage machine. He makes jewelry, belts, wallets and bags in leather. He bought the machine for $50 from a shoe maker in Philadelphia who told him that it did not work and why. Jason took it home and found that the shoe maker's diagnosis was wrong. All it needed was a replacement cotter pin. He learnt how to shape, form and hammer leather on YouTube.

Jason lives with Natasha Chekoudjian in one of Red Hook's converted factory gems. It overlooks Coffey Park where they walk their white American bull dog, Stella. I tried to photograph all three of them earlier this year but it did not work. Got some good shots of Stella and our Louis on another occasion though. August Sander took some good ones of men with dogs.

Leather worker's tools

Jason has recently had a surge in orders for his work and has taken on helpers. From an early age he had experience with production. His father manufactured pushpins and allowed his son to roam the factory. Click here for Jason's website.

Jason Ross and Natasha Chekoudjian

Jason and Natasha in the hallway of their building in Red Hook. Natasha is wearing a dress that she designed and jewelry designed by Jason.

Brianna, volunteer gardener

Brianna and John. She is a volunteer gardener in Coffey Park, Red Hook; he is the full time gardener. They spent the morning with seven students from NYU spreading wood chip mulch round the Plane trees.

Woman in robe 1

During lunch in Red Hook with our friends Jason and Natasha, Jason mentioned a chapel around the corner where artists had moved in and divided the work space. He had walked by one day and stopped to look at the art on display outside the open doors. Danniel, above, was one of the artists. She asked them in to see the space and invited them to dinner for the following weekend. Danniel and two friends cooked four courses for seventeen people sitting at a long table. The entire chapel was lit by candlelight. Continued below next picture.

Woman in robe 2

Continued. As we left the restaurant and walked towards the chapel, Jason dialed her number, but she did not answer. He kept trying her and also pressed the doorbell... silence. He tried calling her again and this time she answered. She didn't remember him or Natasha at her dinner and told Jason she was not going to let us in. Jason spoke to her some more (I was out of earshot) and finally said to him that she was coming down. By this time I wanted to walk on and look for people to photograph. Then the door opened and this person appeared. She recognized Jason and Natasha and apologized. We stood chatting not quite believing what we saw in front of us. Caroline said to me quietly, "Aren't you going to take a picture of her?" The others dispersed and I took the photograph. "You must all come to my next dinner party." she said as we waved goodbye.

Natasha Chekoudjian, fashion designer

When I first photographed Natasha both Caroline and I were impressed by what she was wearing. Here she is with two more of her designs. She has the grace and elegance to match the flow of these garments. This is the link to her website: www.chekoudjian.com/design.html

Artists in Red Hook

Their large white dog put his paws on the window of the Hope and Anchor, Red Hook, Brooklyn and pants at us. The owners look interesting and we go outside and greet them. I take some pictures with the dog but it is this one that I like. He spoke, she was quiet. Artists both, strength - resolution - determination. Actors, never.

Young man in scarf

He told us that the photograph pinned to his hoodie was of a buddy who passed away recently.

Waitress with armful of glasses

Botanica has a new manager, an Englishman, originally from the Islands. Along with him, two new waitresses of great skill and courtesy. Braced with a shared Hemingway (that as yet, unbeatable cocktail, the daiquiri), we drove home to Garrison listening to "A Most Wanted Man" by John le Carré. The journey has never gone quicker. The book is a perfectly aimed swipe at the complicity of all the governments fighting the war on terror; riveting characters and suspense.